AIU statement regarding IAAF Council member Frank Fredericks

Following an application by the Athletics Integrity Unit, the Chairman of the IAAF Disciplinary Tribunal, Michael Beloff QC, has imposed an order for provisional suspension of IAAF Council Member Frank Fredericks pending investigation of a potential breach of the IAAF Code of Ethics. The order for provisional suspension does not prejudge the outcome of the investigation which the Athletics Integrity Unit is carrying out.

Mr Fredericks enjoys the presumption of innocence until the conclusion of that investigative process and any disciplinary process which may follow depending on the results of the investigation. The investigation will be led by Sir Anthony Hooper, a former judge of the English Court of Appeal and an experienced investigator in the context of sports integrity.

An order for provisional suspension is not any early indication of guilt or innocence and orders for provisional suspension may be sought by the Athletics Integrity Unit and imposed by the Disciplinary Tribunal on a precautionary basis in cases where the interests of the sport favour the suspension of an IAAF office holder, employee or participant in the sport pending investigation of potential ethical breaches in the sport. The investigation into Mr Fredericks, who is also the subject of a parallel IOC Ethics investigation, concerns payments received by Mr Fredericks’ company, Yemi Limited, from a company owned and controlled by Papa Massata Diack, Pamodzi Sports Consulting, which were made on or close to the date of the IOC vote awarding the 2016 Olympic Games to Rio de Janeiro. As an IOC member, Mr Fredericks was one of the persons entitled to vote to award the 2016 Olympics.

Mr Fredericks has stated that the sums of money received were proper payments for services rendered which have no connection to the voting process for the award of the 2016 Olympic Games. Since assuming responsibility for this investigation, the Athletics Integrity Unit has carefully considered the case, including reviewing the facts and documents leading to the initiation of an IOC Ethics Investigation, as well as certain limited additional information. Despite Mr Fredericks’ voluntary resignation from his positions on, inter alia, the IAAF’s Russia Task Force, the Athletics Integrity Unit determined that the interests of the sport required an application to be made for an order to provisionally suspend Mr Fredericks from all his present roles in the sport, including his important duties as an IAAF Council Member.

The allegation is a serious one and requires careful investigation and the Athletics Integrity Unit concluded, and the Chairman of the Disciplinary Tribunal agreed, that the nature of the allegations and the seniority of Mr Fredericks within the sport required an order for provisional suspension. Mr. Fredericks has indicated that he intends to contest the provisional suspension at a provisional hearing before a panel of the IAAF Disciplinary Tribunal convened to hear his case.

The full decision of the Chairman of the IAAF Disciplinary Tribunal can be viewed below…

• This media release was originally published by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) on 17 July 2017. To access the original, please click here.